Best Survival Knife – A Comprehensive Buying Guide

You need a survival knife whenever you are going out into the wild. It comes in handy when skinning your game and cutting the meat. There are dangerous animals and people out there hence you can use it for self-protection. You can also use it to cut twigs for making a fire to cook or provide warmth at night. It is also suitable for digging. There are many varying types of survival knives. They have different materials, shapes, sizes and designs. You should always consider your needs before deciding on the most convenient knife to buy. The following factors can help you make up your mind as you choose the best survival knife.

Best Survival Knife Buying guide

Blade length

Always consider the length of the survival knife’s blade. It determines how efficiently you can carry out your activities. Most knives range between 6 to 12 inches. If they are very small, they might not be helpful for carrying out some tasks. Those that are bigger might be difficult to handle.

Blade material

The blade material also matters. It should be hard and durable. Most survival knives make use of steel material. Stainless steel is indestructible. It doesn’t easily corrode hence perfect for a survival knife’s blade. However, the edge doesn’t last for a very long time. Other knives have blades that are made from carbon steel. Its edge lasts longer than that of stainless steel but it rusts quickly.

Sheath

Survival knives are best if they come with a sheath. It is used to protect and store the knife. It also affects how you carry and draw it. A great sheath comes with an attachment at the tip that allows you to strap the knife onto something. It could be your leg or belt. It should also have a crossover strap.

Thickness (blade)

A good survival knife is thick enough to comfortably cut wood without flexing. If you don’t have other tools like machetes and axes, do not go for thin knives. They might deter you from doing some tasks like chopping thick branches.

Full tang

Full tang survival knives are recommendable. The blade and the handle are integrated into one piece. They do not break easily hence they are more durable. They are also strong and more effective when in use.

Fixed blades

Unlike folding knives, fixed blades cannot be folded shut. The knife is joined with the handle. Such knives are more comfortable to use especially for the hard tasks. They are always a reliable choice especially when you don’t have any other cutting tools.

Top 10 Best survival knives review

Are you looking for the best survival knife? Here are some quality knives that you can try out.

1. Morakniv Companion Fixed Blade Outdoor Knife

This is an ideal survival knife. It comes with a high-friction grip that makes it easy to hold and use. It is suitable for preparing camp food. You can use it to cut wood and dig roots. Its blade is made from stainless steel hence it is rust-resistance. It is also long and ideal.

Features

Stainless steel

The knife is made from hardened stainless steel (Sandvik 12C27). It makes it resistant to corrosion and highly durable.

Comfortable

This knife comes with a high-friction grip that is patterned. It makes it comfortable to use when doing various tasks.

Sheath

It has a plastic sheath that comes with a belt clip. It has matching colors which makes it admirable. It protects the knife and enables you to safely carry it.

Fixed blade

The knife has a fixed blade. It makes it easy to handle and strong enough to do a variety of outdoor activities.

Convenient

The blade is 4.1 inches long and 0.1 inches thick. It is suitable for carrying out many tasks. It comes with a weight of 4.2 ounces thus it is easy to carry.

You can have this survival knife when you are going outdoors. It is comfortable to use and carry. It comes with a lasting durability that makes it dependable. The sheath allows you to keep it safe.

2. Leatherman- Wingman Multitool, Stainless Steel

This is a great and dependable tool for use. It is pocket-sized hence you can carry it with ease. With its durability, you can rely on it whenever you go to explore the wild. It comes with an outside-accessible opening blade as well as spring-action jaws that make it ideal for outdoor tasks. It is also suitable for projects around your home.

Features

Compact and lightweight

The tool is compact and you can easily store it inside your pocket. With a weight of 6.9 ounces, it is one of the lightest knives that you can find.

Convenient

You only need one hand to open the Wingman. You can also access all the tools with ease. The locking blade allows you to confidently use it.

Multi-purpose

The Wingman has a total of 14 tools. These include a knife, a screw driver, wire cutters and strippers, scissors, bottle openers and a file. There is nothing that you can’t do with it.

Durable

This tool is made from stainless steel that makes it anti-rust. With it, you will not need to buy another survival tool soon.

Ideal blade length

The knife’s blade length is 2.6 inches. It allows you to do a variety of tasks without difficulty.

This is the perfect survival knife. It comes with many other tools that come in handy when you are outdoors. It is long-lasting and comfortable to carry. With it, you are armed enough to confidently face everything that comes your way.

3. KA-BAR Full Size US Marine Corps Fighting Knife

This knife is strong and highly durable. It comes with a sheath for protection. It has a razor-sharp cutting edge that makes it ideal to cut wood and branches. It is one of the most famous fixed blades that you can purchase. It is designed for your survival.

Features

Leather sheath

This knife comes with a long-lasting leather sheath. It allows for safe transportation and storage when you are not using it.

Cro-van steel

The knife is made from quality Cro-van steel. It makes it strong and enables it to resist corrosion.

Leather handle

This knife comes with a leather handle that is not easily destructible. It has a firm grip to ensure that you will comfortably handle your tasks.

Convenient

The knife has an overall length of 11.875 inches, with the blade being 7 inches long. With it, you can do a lot of outdoor activities without struggle. The cutting edge is extremely sharp.

Multi-functional

There is no limit to what you can do with this survival knife. You can use it to hunt, slice fruits, prepare meals and cut meat.

This survival knife is long-lasting and multi-purpose. It has the ideal blade length and weight (11.2 ounces). With it, you are assured of safety during all your outdoor adventures.

4. Smith & Wesson SWBG2TS Border Guard 10in Folding Knife

If you are looking for a defense tool, this is perfect for you. It is a suitable rope cutter and glass breaker. It is long-lasting and reliable. It small weight makes it easy for you to carry it as you explore the woods.

Features

Ideal

This folding knife designed for you. It comes with a glass break, dual blood grooves and strap/belt cutters. It is 10 inches long with a 4.4 inches blade that makes activities like skinning animals and cutting twigs easy.

Secure

This is a safe knife to carry with you. It has a liner lock that prevents it from slipping. It also makes it reliable since it is hard to lose it once you have packed it.

Durable

The blade is made from High Carbon Black Oxide stainless steel that makes it long-lasting. Its handle makes use of black aluminum and Trac-Tec inserts.

Easy to handle

The knife is quite comfortable to use. With a pocket clip, it is easy to access. It also comes with ambidextrous thumb knobs.

Lightweight

The knife weighs 9.6 ounces. It makes it portable and perfect for survivalists.

This knife makes your life easy especially when you are outdoors. It is light and you can comfortably carry it. It is made from quality materials that make it extremely durable. Again, it is safe to use.

5. Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife, Serrated Edge

You can also get this knife to enhance your survival when outdoors. Designed to enable you to endure the harshest environments, it has a partially serrated blade. It comes with other survival tools like a blade sharpener, a fire starter, a pommel and an emergency whistle. You can use it for a variety of tasks that include cutting fibrous materials like ropes.

Features

Durable

This knife comes with a full tang construction that enhances its strength. It is made using hardened stainless steel that makes it long-lasting. It also gives it great edge retention.

Ergonomic design

The knife comes with features that make it comfortable to handle. It has a rubberized textured grip that ensures that it doesn’t slip while you are using it.

Multipurpose

The knife is suitable for many outdoor activities. You can use it to skin an animal and cut ropes and wood. You can also use it as a fishing spear; it has two holes where you can lash it to a stick. It has a stainless steel pommel, located at the base of its handle, which makes it convenient for hammering.

Sheath

It comes with a military-grade Nylon sheath that is lightweight and mildew resistant. It allows for secure transportation. It also ensures the knife is safely packed when it is not in use.

This survival knife can only make your outdoor adventures better. Once you buy it, you get other bonus tools like an emergency whistle and a blade sharpener. It is suitable for use even when you are in the worst conditions. The sheath allows you to keep it safe at all times.

6. BlizeTec Survival Knife

Are you looking for a classic survival knife? This is what you need. It is multi-functional and ideal for emergency situations. It can comfortably fit in your pocket. It is super sharp and it comes with a glass breaker, an emergency LED light, a magnesium fire starter and a built-in seatbelt cutter. It prepares you for disaster and enables to survive the worst environments.

Features

Lightweight

This knife only weighs 5.46oz. It is comfortable to carry it even when you trekking for many hours. You can carry it with the nylon pouch or the belt clip. You can also keep it in your pocket.

Ideal

The knife is only 8.5 inches long, with a 3.5 inches long blade. It comes with other useful tools like a fire starter that comes in handy when you need fire. There is also a pocket clip and LED light.

Multi-purpose

The knife can be used for many outdoor activities. It can cut branches, hunt, prepare food and even provide protection against dangerous animals.

Easy to use

This knife is easy to handle. You can fold it and keep it safe in your pocket when you are not using it.

Serrated saw

The blade has a serrated part. It allows you to cut fibrous materials with ease.

This survival knife is designed for campers, hikers as well as backpackers. It is best for hunting, cutting twigs and doing other outdoor activities. It is conveniently long and foldable. It comes with other items that come in handy when you are exploring the wood. It is light hence carrying it hassle-less.

7. Smith and Wesson SWHRT9B 9in Stainless Steel Fixed Blade Knife

You need this knife in your survival toolkit. It combines quality with prestige to ensure that you are prepared at all times. It has a dual edge blade and a blood groove that makes it super-efficient in handling various tasks. It also has a hand guard. You can trust it every time you are going out.

Features

Durable

Made from reliable High Carbon Stainless Steel, the knife has a lasting durability. It is perfect for many outdoor tasks.

Reliable

The knife comes with a convenient belt that allows for easy and quick access. It makes it perfect for use even during emergency situations. Moreover, it has a rubber-wrapped handle (black) that makes it easy to handle.

Ideal

It is 9 inch long, with the blade length being 4.7 inches. This it makes it helpful in doing many tasks. Its weight is only 7.7 ounces. Carrying it will be very comfortable.

Safe

It is secure to carry this knife with you. It comes with a hand guard that ensures that it doesn’t slip. It also has a boot sheath that protects it and ensures safe storage.

Fixed blade

It comes with a fixed blade. This ensures that it is not easily breakable. It is ideal for many outdoor activities.

With its superior features, this knife assures you of safety each time you go out. It is the perfect hunting tool. You can use it to cut twigs and even meat. It is also convenient for self-defense.

8. Gerber 22-01400 LMF II Survival Knife

This is a resourceful survival knife. It is extremely tough and designed to handle various tasks that include cutting wood. It comes with a sheath for protection and safe carriage. It is made from 420HC stainless material that makes it durable and strong. It comes with a classic design.

Features

Sheath

This survival knife has a durable Ballistic Nylon sheath that ensures that it is secure. It has a fire retardant coating that provides protection against fire damage. It also has a built-in carbide sharpener.

Durable pointed buttcap

The knife has a unique buttcap that enables it to pierce through the hardest glasses. It is made from stainless steel that makes it ultra-durable. It comes with a physical separation from the knife’s tang so that it can absorb shock when you use it as a hammer. It also protects you from electrical shocks.

Versatile

The knife is not designed for cutting alone. It has lashing holes that allows you to use it as a spear. There is little that you cannot do with it.

Comfortable to use

The handle is over-molded. It ensures that you don’t get blisters even when you are handling tough tasks. It also offers a secure grip for easy use.

Strong and serrated blade

The blade is strong and partly serrated. It makes it helpful during various situations. The blade can withstand all sorts of abuse especially when you have sharpened it.

This multi-functional survival knife is worth purchasing. It will make your life easy whenever you go for outdoor adventures. It is long-lasting and dependable. It will help you handle most of your tasks and allow you to defend yourself in case of an attack.

9. Schrade SCHF9 12.1in Stainless Steel Fixed Blade Knife

This knife is finely constructed to ensure that all your needs are met. It is convenient for hiking, backpacking, camping and any other outdoor activity. It has a lanyard hole and enables you to be prepared for anything. It is easy to use hence you can always depend on it even when there is an emergency.

Features

Full tang

The knife comes with a full tang design. It is strong enough to help you do tough tasks without struggle.

Belt Sheath

It comes with a ballistic belt sheath. It allows you to store it safely when you are not suing it. It is accompanied by a removable storage pouch.

Long-lasting

This survival knife is highly durable. Its blade is made from high carbon stainless steel. You can rely on it during your numerous hiking and camping adventures.

Comfortable and secure

It comes with a ring textured handle to enhance your comfort as you use it. It also minimizes slippage. Again, it has a finger choil and the front quillon that ensures that you are safe when using it.

Convenient

The knife weighs 15.7 ounces which makes it extremely easy to handle, and carry. The blade length is 6.4 inches which enables you to handle many different tasks.

Comfort and great strength are some of the best features of a perfect survival knife. This one has them all. In addition to this, it is safe to use and easy to carry. With its durable sheath, you don’t have to worry about whether it is safe or not. It is suitable for hunting, preparing meals as well as cutting twigs.

10. Kershaw Skyline (1760), Lightweight Pocket Knife

You can consider purchasing this stylish survival knife. It is pocket-sized hence you don’t have to worry about how you will carry it. It is also highly dependable. It is perfect for a hiker, carpenter, hunter, or a knife enthusiast.

Features

Lightweight

The knife is extremely light. It weighs 8 ounces which makes it convenient for outdoor activities. You might even forget that you are carrying it.

Strong and durable

This knife is ultra-strong. It is made from high-performance stainless steel that protects it against corrosion and wear. You can use it for many years.

Light handle

It has a lightweight G-10 handle that is textured to provide a firm grip. It also has an index-finger contour that enhances your comfort while you are using the knife.

Multi-purpose

You can use this Kershaw knife to do a lot of things. It is suitable for removing zip-ties, hunting small game as well as skinning the bigger animals. You can also use it to slice or peel fruits and stripping wires.

Convenient

It is ideal to use this knife. It has a drop-point blade that provides a good balance when cutting branches or twigs. Its tip is hard and strong. Moreover, it has a rugged Stonewash finish that hides fingerprints and scratches.

If you are looking for a safe knife that offers no disappointments, try this one. It is multi-functional and you can do it for most of your outdoors chores. In addition to this, it is very light hence easy to handle. It allows you to finish your tasks without delay.

Summing up on the Best Survival Knives

Everyone needs the best survival knife especially when they are going outdoors. You should never forget to carry one with you. It enables you to comfortable handle different tasks. It also allows you to defend yourself in case of an animal attack. With the countless knife manufacturers out there, you might find it difficult to choose a knife that fits your needs and tastes. The blade material affects its strength and durability; ensure that it is rust-resistant. The ideal length depends on what you intend to do. Other factors that you ought to think about are the blade design and thickness. It should also come with a sheath.

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